Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!unido!pcsbst!dude!me
From: me@dude.pcs.com (Michael Elbel)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Why do 2.0 meg diskettes only hold 1.44 meg ??
Message-ID: <989@pcsbst.pcs.com>
Date: 12 Nov 90 12:25:00 GMT
References: <11290@hubcap.clemson.edu> <1990Nov1.194908.12296@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
Sender: news@pcsbst.pcs.com
Lines: 18

ccplumb@spurge.uwaterloo.ca (Colin Plumb) writes:
> In article <11290@hubcap.clemson.edu> chrisb@hubcap.clemson.edu (Chris Behrens) writes:
> > The subject says it all...   But is there a way to utilize the full 
> > 2 meg, or is this taken up by the DOS formatting ??

> It is possible to fit 10 512-byte sectors on a "1.0 MB" floppy, for 800K
> effective, due to tighter tolerances these days, and I assume this would
> let you get 1600K on a "2.0 MB" floppy.

It is possible to fit 11 512-byte sectors on a track reliably if the drive
spins not over 302 rpm (300 is the norm). By using 85 tracks (you have to try
how far your drive can step) I can format disks to hold 935K on my Atari ST.

Michael
--
Michael Elbel 		|  Wollen haetten wir schon moegen
 me@dude.PCS.COM 	|  aber duerfen haben wir uns nicht getraut.
			|  - Karl Valentin